A doctor who grew up in Laxey is approaching the end of a mammoth trek in America.

Emily Knight and her partner Peter Ostler are walking the trail from the Mexican to Canadian borders to raise money for their selected charities along the Pacific Crest Trail.

They began their trek on April 20.

Emily, 29, grew up in Laxey and met Peter, 26, at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital where they were working.

She said: ’I decided to do the walk as I am an avid walker, having done multiple treks in the Himalayas, Indonesia and across the UK and am also a Parish Walk finisher. I am currently taking some time out of work before I start my speciality training to travel more and hike in as many places as possible.

’My partner Peter is a nurse who works in the A&E department at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital (where we met last year). He is raising money for [housing charity] Shelter as working in an A&E department in a busy city highlights the issues that the homeless face.’

Emily’s charity,the Huntington’s Disease Association, is close to her. When she was a child, a friend’s mother died from the degenerative disease.

She added: ’For as long as I have known her she has lived with the knowledge hanging over her that she has a 50% chance of inheriting the defective gene. As a result in recent years we have been learning a lot more about what her future may hold. Meeting people affected by a disease like this really hits home that life is short and you have to make the most of it, hence my career break and decision to take on a huge challenge like the Pacific Crest Trail.’

Emily said that she had already decided to take on the trail when her and Peter met and luckily he wanted to do it too.

The pair said that the hike has been more challenging than they thought both physically and emotionally. They have suffered from blisters and minor injuries while enduring desert heat, snow and the recent wildfires in Oregon and North Carolina.

She added: ’A real highlight has been meeting people from all walks of life, both other hikers and the amazing "Trail Angels" who help hikers with lifts, showers, laundry, packages or even just getting a cold beer on a hot day.

’Our favourite section was Sierra Nevada, the views were stunning and we loved the challenge of the altitude, summiting Mount Whitney, and going a week at a time without any signs of civilisation.

’We have also really loved Oregon.’

The pair were last recorded on their GPS tracker in Washington State as they close in on the Canadian border.

So far, Emily and Peter have raised more than £1,200, to be split between their chosen charities.